Spiribam raises rum profile in UK, acquires Mangrove

French conglomerate and Spiribam owner Groupe Bernard Hayot (GBH) has made an alcohol distribution acquisition in the UK, purchasing Mangrove for an undisclosed fee.

The transaction will see Mangrove come under the control of Spiribam, which owns a raft of rum brands including Rhum Clément and JM from Martinique, Bounty, Chairman’s Reserve and Admiral Rodney from Saint Lucia and Arcane and Beach House Spiced from Mauritius.

The announcement comes almost exactly a year after GBH switched Spiribam’s third-party distribution in the UK to an in-house model, a move that brought the country into line for the company with home market France and the US.

The newly-enlarged Spiribam UK will be headed up by Mangrove co-founder & MD Nick Gillett. John Coe, who set up Mangrove with Gillett in 2006, “leaves the business to focus on his other business interests”, according to GBH.

“This operation is perfectly in line with our strategy of developing a powerful international distribution network for our spirits brands and those of our partners, by offering them an amplified quality of service and better visibility,” said GBH MD Stéphane Hayot. “The spirits sector is resolutely a strong area of development for GBH, alongside our retail and automotive activities.”

Covering both the on- and off-premise channels, Mangrove posted sales of GBP21m [US$25.3m] in 2022.

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